the kingfisher - the etymology of kingfisher (alcedo atthis)

8/9/2019 The Kingfisher - The etymology of kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)

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The KingfisherJoannes Richter

The etymology ofkingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is obscure; the term comes from king's fisher, but whythat name was applied is not known. The name kingfisher refers to the Norse roots Kungsfiskareand may have been defined by the Normans. The tombs at Fontevraud in France probably refer tothe etymology for theKingfisherbirds.

Fig. 1: Kingfisher


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The Tombs of Henry II and Richard I

The Tombs of Henry II and Richard I, Kings of England at Fontevraud reveal the colours blue andorange, which may be correlated to the colours of the European bird named kingfisher. Theetymology ofkingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is obscure; the term comes from king's fisher, but why thatname was applied is not known.

The colours of the tombs are original decorations. Initially the burial place at the church had been

decorated with the same bright colours as the tombs. A lot of other aristocrats have been buried atthe abbey Fontevraud. The abbey was originally the site of the graves of King Henry II of England,his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their son King Richard I of England, their daughter Joan, theirgrandson Raymond VII of Toulouse, and Isabella of Angoulme, wife of their son King John.However, there is no remaining corporal presence of Henry, Eleanor, Richard or the others on thesite. Their remains were possibly destroyed during the French Revolution.

Fig. 2: Tomb of Henry II, King of England


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Henry II (5 March 1133 6 July 1189), ruled as King of England (11541189), Count of Anjou,Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lordof Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry has

been buried in blue and orange/red garments.

Fig. 3: Grave of Henry & Eleonora at

Fontevrault

Fig. 4: King Richard I, Lionheart ( 1189-

1199)


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King Richard I, Lionheart (king of England 1189-1199), at his grave in the abbey Fonevraultis demonstrating the traces of blue overcoat and white & red/orange undergarments.

Now let's investigate the kingfisher's colours for European species to check the correlation of thesecolours. Please remember both kings are wearing blue upper garments, and orange under garmentsas displayed in the original colours at their medieval tombs at Fontevraud .

Fig. 5: King Richard I, Lionheart ( 1189-1199)

Fig. 6: Isabella of Angouleme & King Richard I


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The Kingfisher

Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds. Europe is very poorlyrepresented with only one common kingfisher (Common Kingfisher). This sparrow-sized bird hasthe typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underpartsand a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptions to enableit to see prey under water.

"Ovid and Hyginus both also make the metamorphosis the origin of the etymology for "halcyondays", the seven days in winter when storms never occur. They state that these were originally theseven days each year (either side of the shortest day of the year) during which Alcyone ([as a

kingfisher]) laid her eggs and made her nest on the beach and during which her father Aeolus, godof the winds, restrained the winds and calmed the waves so she could do so in safety. The phrasehas since become a term used to describe a peaceful time generally."

The etymology ofkingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is obscure; the term comes from king's fisher, but whythat name was applied is not known[6].1

According to the Online etymological database etymonline The word King has been applied innature for species deemed remarkably big or dominant (e.g. king crab, 1690s). The bird's colourshowever reveal a remarkable correlation to the tomb of the Plantagenets at the abbey Fontevraud inFrance.

1Douglas Harper (2001). "Online Etymology Dictionary". Retrieved 2007-07-14.

Fig. 7: Kingfisher
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Kingfisherhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingfisher#cite_note-5http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=king&searchmode=termhttp://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=king&searchmode=termhttp://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=king&searchmode=termhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingfisher#cite_note-5http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=king&searchmode=termhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Kingfisher


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Etymology

In other European languages the kingfisher may be found in the English and Swedish words:

English : kingfisher

Swedish : kungsfiskare , isfgel

German : Eisvogel

Dutch : ijsvogel

French : alcyon, martin-chasseur, martin-pcheur

Italian : martin pescatore

Spanish : alcin , martn pescador

Portuguese : alcone, martim-pescador

Germanic languages refer to the word ice. Mediterranean languages refer to the Alcyone legendor to the name Martin. They all seem to be linked to the personal name Martin, although nooneseems to know why. This is also the source of English martin, although obviously that nowindicates a different bird altogether2.

The Full text of "An etymologicaldictionary of the Romance languages" explains:

Martin pescatore It. a sea-fish, Sp. martin pescador, and paxaro de San Martin,Sard, puzone de Santu Martinu, Fr. martinet pecheur kingfisher, Sp. martinete asmall white heron, Fr. martinet a kind of swallow (E. martinet], a martin, also a lampwith a handle like a martin's tail, It. martinetto a cross-bow windlass; all from thename Martinus,3

Kungsfiskare

In fact the name kingfisher probably refers to the Norse roots Kungsfiskare may have been definedby the Normans. The Normans were Norsemen in origin, but they had lived in France for a longtime and adopted both the French language and civilization. In history the year 1066 marks the

Norman Conquest and is taken to open the Middle Ages in England. William the Conqueror and hisNorman-French barons crossed the Channel, slew King Harold and the flower of his nobles in theBattle of Hastings, and conquered England.

William soon restored peace to the country. He introduced the French feudal system, the Frenchlanguage and culture. These were to dominate England for the next three generations. French

became the the official language of the courtiers and diplomats. English was suppressed and at firstonly spoken by the common people. Gradually though it developed into a new form.

2 Wikipedia discussion byWidsith14:58, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

3 v. Grimm, Mythol. 1083, 1233.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Martinhttp://www.google.de/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=4&ved=0CB0QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.archive.org%2Fstream%2Fetymologicaldict00diezuoft%2Fetymologicaldict00diezuoft_djvu.txt&ei=2fjaS_GIKNagOL2b9ewP&usg=AFQjCNEQrsmJ-LtpXg1sFnqVhEqB9jgESw&sig2=3VFeq3ZA5gwfnbxfHZgsAghttp://www.google.de/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=4&ved=0CB0QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.archive.org%2Fstream%2Fetymologicaldict00diezuoft%2Fetymologicaldict00diezuoft_djvu.txt&ei=2fjaS_GIKNagOL2b9ewP&usg=AFQjCNEQrsmJ-LtpXg1sFnqVhEqB9jgESw&sig2=3VFeq3ZA5gwfnbxfHZgsAghttp://www.google.de/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=4&ved=0CB0QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.archive.org%2Fstream%2Fetymologicaldict00diezuoft%2Fetymologicaldict00diezuoft_djvu.txt&ei=2fjaS_GIKNagOL2b9ewP&usg=AFQjCNEQrsmJ-LtpXg1sFnqVhEqB9jgESw&sig2=3VFeq3ZA5gwfnbxfHZgsAghttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/User:Widsithhttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/User:Widsithhttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/User:Widsithhttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/User:Widsithhttp://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Martinhttp://www.google.de/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=4&ved=0CB0QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.archive.org%2Fstream%2Fetymologicaldict00diezuoft%2Fetymologicaldict00diezuoft_djvu.txt&ei=2fjaS_GIKNagOL2b9ewP&usg=AFQjCNEQrsmJ-LtpXg1sFnqVhEqB9jgESw&sig2=3VFeq3ZA5gwfnbxfHZgsAghttp://www.google.de/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=4&ved=0CB0QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.archive.org%2Fstream%2Fetymologicaldict00diezuoft%2Fetymologicaldict00diezuoft_djvu.txt&ei=2fjaS_GIKNagOL2b9ewP&usg=AFQjCNEQrsmJ-LtpXg1sFnqVhEqB9jgESw&sig2=3VFeq3ZA5gwfnbxfHZgsAghttp://www.google.de/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=4&ved=0CB0QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.archive.org%2Fstream%2Fetymologicaldict00diezuoft%2Fetymologicaldict00diezuoft_djvu.txt&ei=2fjaS_GIKNagOL2b9ewP&usg=AFQjCNEQrsmJ-LtpXg1sFnqVhEqB9jgESw&sig2=3VFeq3ZA5gwfnbxfHZgsAg


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The Anglo-Saxon inflectional endings were dropped. The language lost some of its vocabulary, butalso has been enriched by French words. Ultimately English replaced French as the officiallanguage in the 14th century. Middle English literature was very much affected by the French spirit.The English national feeling was aroused by King Edward III's victories in France at Crecy (1346)and Poitiers (1356). This may have been a good time to promote a Norse word kungsfiskare to anEnglish symbol for royalty. The English royals may have reminded the tomb of Henry II (1133

1189), painted in orange and blue and name this beautiful bird the King's fisher, who carried thesame colours in its garments.


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The kingfisher in decorated Bibles and ancient books

Illustrations in Medieval Bibles often apply birds, especially birds coloured red & blue, being thedivine, androgynous symbols. Some birds reveal a blue and red coloured combination of feathers,which may have been considered as a religious symbol. A special example may be the kingfisher, asdisplayed on a German stamp from 1963:

In fact the colours may vary from orange to green-blue:

In this colour combination blue/orange the kingfisher has been documented in ancient codices suchasWiener Dioskuridesfol. 479 verso (dated at 515 AD)

Fig 8: Kingfisher on a German stamp

Fig 9: Kingfisher,

Alcedo_atthis_2_(Lukasz_Lukasik)
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiener_Dioskurideshttp://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiener_Dioskurideshttp://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiener_Dioskurideshttp://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiener_Dioskurides


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The Vienna Dioscurides

The Vienna Dioscurides or Vienna Dioscorides is an early 6th-century illuminated manuscript of DeMateria Medica by Dioscorides in Greek. It is an important and rare example of a late antiquescientific text. The 491 vellum folios measure 37 by 30 cm and contain more than 400 pictures ofanimals and plants, most done in a naturalistic style.

The manuscript was created in about 515 and was made for the Byzantine princess Juliana Anicia,the daughter of Emperor Anicius Olybrius. Although it was originally created as a luxury copy,there is some indication that in later centuries it was used daily as a hospital textbook. It includessome annotations in Arabic.The manuscript was discovered in Instanbul in the 1560s by the Flemish diplomat Ogier Ghiselin deBusbecq who was in the employ of Emperor Ferdinand I. The Emperor bought the manuscript andit is now held in the sterreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna. The manuscript was inscribed on

UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme Register in 1997 in recognition of its historicalsignificance. The following page mainly decorated in the colours purple, red and blue) depicts theByzantine princess Juliana Anikia flanked by two allegoric images.

Fig 10: Kingfisher (Wiener Dioskurid)

Fig. 11: Juliana Anikia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_Dioscurideshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna_Dioscurides


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The Wenzelbible

The Genesis page of the Wenzelbible (Prague, dated ca. AD 1389/95) has been decorated with twodominant kingfishers, which seem to enclose the Genesis-text and the accompanying decorations

between their beaks. As usual the Genesis page has been the most important symbolic and mostdecorated page for the Bible. These kingfishers have been positioned at the left respectively rightcentre of the pages of the Wenzelbible next to the the coat of arms of the Bohemian sovereign.

One of both kingfisher may be identified at the central right side of this main page of theWenzelbible. The other bird is located at the opposite border at the left side of the page.

Fig. 12: Kingfisher at the Genesis-page of the Wenzelbible


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Of course Wenzel has not been a king of England, but the European royals may all have consideredthe kingfisher as a symbol for royal power as derived from the divine symbols red & blue.

Fig 13: Kingfisher at the Genesis-page (Wenzel-bible)


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A few other birds with red & blue feathers may also be identified at the same Genesis-page of theWenzel-Bible, but they are not in equivalent prominent positions:

Clearly the kingfisher is the most prominent animal-painting in Wenzel-Bible.

Fig 14: Bird at the Genesis-page (Wenzel-bible)


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The Prince of Orange

One of the owners of the painting The Garden of Delights may have been William I, Prince ofOrange. It must be noted that the William I, Prince of Orange has adopted the kingfisher as hisfavourite bird. The kingfisher however has been painted twice in the Triptych of Delights. The birdreveals blue-green, white and orange colours, which partly will also be found in the Prince's flag.The first owner of the painting may even have ordered to apply the colours rose-red and blue and/orthe kingfisher as elements for the paintings.

The Prince's Motto

The kingfisher is also found on a medal created 1572 in honour for the city of Delft's transition tothe Geuzen and carrying the inscription:

Een held in ijs en baren - Wien God weet te bewaren4

The same year 1572 the provinces of the Low Countries, rose in revolt against King Philip II ofSpain, and the Prince of Orange placed himself at the head of the rebels.

The Watergeuzen (pro-independence privateers), acting on his instructions, harassed the enemyeverywhere they could and they did this under a tricolour Orange White Blue5, the colours of thePrince's coat of arms. It was thus a flag easily associated with the leader of the rebellion, and theassociation was also expressed in the name: "the Prince's Flag."

The Prince's Motto "Saevis Tranquillus In Undis6"may have been chosen after the birth of FrederikHendrik in 1584.

Reference: The Majestic Singular in William of Orange's Letter

4 A hero in ice and waves, who is to be guarded by God5 in Dutch: Oranje, Wit, Blauw or Oranje, Blanje, Bleu, from French: Orange, Blanche, Bleu6 Easy amidst of the waves

Fig. 15: The Prince's Flag
http://www.google.com/books?id=ZQ0VAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA150&dq=brieven+willem+van+Oranje+ijsvogel&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=QYj5S9jtFqrSyQSLjLSMBw&hl=de&cd=2#v=onepage&q=ijsvogel&f=falsehttp://www.scribd.com/doc/31833780/The-Majestic-Singular-in-William-of-Orange-s-Letterhttp://www.scribd.com/doc/31833780/The-Majestic-Singular-in-William-of-Orange-s-Letterhttp://www.google.com/books?id=ZQ0VAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA150&dq=brieven+willem+van+Oranje+ijsvogel&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=QYj5S9jtFqrSyQSLjLSMBw&hl=de&cd=2#v=onepage&q=ijsvogel&f=falsehttp://www.scribd.com/doc/31833780/The-Majestic-Singular-in-William-of-Orange-s-Letter


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The Kingfishers' Valley

It took us some time to find theKingfishers' Valley atBad Stuer Vordermuehle between thePlauer-lake and Bears' Camp. The muddy entrance at the Plauer-lake is located besides a number of ruinsof the holidays' facilities for the former communist organisations. At our visit 17 September 2010we immediately hear some birds singing, but the songs are not very intense.

At the left side of the entrance a high cliff arises 10 -15 m high. These valley and the cliff have beeneroded into the moraine by the creek. The cliff has been identified as the most popular nestinglocation for the kingfishers. However we did not identify any birds at the cliff.

The Kingfishers' valley is approximately 50 meters wide and 1km long. Along this track theStuerscher-creek drops over an altitude of 28 meters.

Fig. 16: Cliff at the entrance of the kingfishers' valley

Fig. 17: Stuerscher-creek
http://mueritz.baeren-projekte.org/home/menue/aktuelles/newsarchiv/news-single/article/der-baerenwald-hat-ein-neues-traumpaar.html?tx_ttnews[backPid]=340&cHash=c44696f386http://mueritz.baeren-projekte.org/home/menue/aktuelles/newsarchiv/news-single/article/der-baerenwald-hat-ein-neues-traumpaar.html?tx_ttnews[backPid]=340&cHash=c44696f386http://mueritz.baeren-projekte.org/home/menue/aktuelles/newsarchiv/news-single/article/der-baerenwald-hat-ein-neues-traumpaar.html?tx_ttnews[backPid]=340&cHash=c44696f386


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A walk along the creek will need 15-20 minutes. Towards the upper end of the creek the valleywidens to an open area with some more remains of former holidays' camps. The path ends at a roadsurrounding the 8 ha -sized Bears' Forest. In analogy to theDinosaur parka double fence preventsthe contacts between visitors and bears by wires at high voltages.

Most of the birds' songs may be heard at the transition zone between the open area and the forest'sborderline. Singular birds may reveal themselves to visitors, if the observers wait in silence for ashort time to allow the quickly moving birds to settle at a nearby tree. We merely saw one singular

bird landing on a tree at a distance of a few meters. In the web bird-spotters scarcely report morethan one kingfisher at theKingfishers' valley. Most observers do not see any of the birds at all. The

population seems to be rather low.

The kingfishers' populations depend on a constant food supply, especially in the midst of thewintertime. Bad feeding conditions may cause a severe drop in birds' numbers, which will quicklyrecover at intact conditions. The tiny Stuerscher-creek reveals some foam on a minute flow ofdark brown water. The river' source is located in the nearby Kogeler-lake, which supplies arelatively constant flow of water.

The very kingfisher we saw atBad Stuerwas too far away and left his branch before we managed tomake a photograph, so we decided to take the following picture of a stuffed bird at our visit of theStralsund Oceaneum ...

Fig. 18: Stuffed kingfisher at the Oceaneum (Stralsund)


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Conclusion

The etymology ofkingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is obscure; the term comes from king's fisher, but whythat name was applied is not known. The name kingfisher refers to the Norse roots Kungsfiskareand may have been defined by the Normans. The tombs at Fontevraud in France probably refer tothe etymology for theKingfisherbirds.

The Tombs of Henry II (who died 1189) and Richard I (who died 1199), Kings of England andburied at Fontevraud in France, reveal the colours blue and orange, which correlate to the colours ofthe European bird species named kingfisher.

English national feeling was aroused by King Edward III's victories in France at Crecy (1346) andPoitiers (1356). This may have been a good time to promote a Norse word kungsfiskare to anEnglish symbol for royalty. The English royals may have reminded the tomb of Henry II (1133 1189) and Richard I (1199), painted in orange and blue and probably named this beautiful bird the

King's fisher, who carries the same colours in its garments.

At the same time the Bohemian king Wenzel probably considered the kingfisher as a main symbolto decorate his Bible, created at Prague, dated ca. AD 1389/95. The bird may have symbolized royal

power, based on the elementary colours red and blue.

William I, Prince of Orange, has adopted the kingfisher as his favourite bird. The kingfisher is alsofound on a medal created 1572 in honour for the city of Delft's transition to the Geuzen andcarrying the royal motto. The Watergeuzen (pro-independence privateers), acting on hisinstructions, harassed the enemy everywhere they could and they did this under a kingfisher'sOrange, White & Blue7, the colours of the Prince's coat of arms.

7 in Dutch: Oranje, Wit, Blauw or Oranje, Blanje, Bleu, from French: Orange, Blanche, Bleu
http://www.google.com/books?id=ZQ0VAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA150&dq=brieven+willem+van+Oranje+ijsvogel&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=QYj5S9jtFqrSyQSLjLSMBw&hl=de&cd=2#v=onepage&q=ijsvogel&f=falsehttp://www.google.com/books?id=ZQ0VAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA150&dq=brieven+willem+van+Oranje+ijsvogel&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=QYj5S9jtFqrSyQSLjLSMBw&hl=de&cd=2#v=onepage&q=ijsvogel&f=falsehttp://www.google.com/books?id=ZQ0VAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA150&dq=brieven+willem+van+Oranje+ijsvogel&lr=&as_brr=3&ei=QYj5S9jtFqrSyQSLjLSMBw&hl=de&cd=2#v=onepage&q=ijsvogel&f=false

the kingfisher - the etymology of kingfisher (alcedo atthis)

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